~The Lord of the Harvest/Plan for World Evangelism - #4

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~Prayer continued...

Pray:

“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).


Prayer also deepens our love for Jesus Christ as we spend time communicating with Him, and getting to know Him better. Andrew Murray in his book The Key to the Missionary Problem, written more than one hundred years ago, said that the lack of love for Jesus Christ was why the Church was failing to fulfill the Great Commission. In another book entitled The Great Omission, by Robert McQuilkin, he writes, “Let us give ourselves to prayer til He ignites us with the flame of His love and scatters us as firebrands throughout the darkness of a lost world.” Loving God and keeping His commandments go hand-in-hand. Unfortunately everyday that the Church fails at mobilization, opportunities are lost, and the number of lost humanity grows larger.

God is looking for a few good men and women? Can He count you in? Can He send you forth? The question is not, is He calling? The question is many times, are you listening?

We are to pray that He will “send forth laborers into his harvest.” Because it is “his harvest” you can be assured He is more than willing to do that. In checking the intention of the original Greek used in “send forth” it was enlightening to note that it refers to bring forth, drive out, expel, pull, take, thrust out, and put forth. The workers are there. They necessitate being expelled or forced free from what they are presently doing. They need to be motivated. We cannot hold them back. Sensitivity is needed. I want to have a sensitive spirit and a listening life. I don’t want Him to recruit prayer warriors so that I will be expelled, driven, pulled, and thrust out of my comfort zone into a scattered world. I’ll go wherever you want me to go, dear Lord!

Since we have reached the close of the chapter it is easy to assume that the topic is finished. I don’t think so. First of all, chapter divisions did not appear in the original. They were added later by men to facilitate easy reading and understanding. Regardless of that, one chapter closes, but the next chapter seemingly picks up with the same topic and further expounds the game plan for world evangelism.

- continued in the next post #5

~Featured Missionary and Country of the Week - Costa Rica/David and Yonda Schwarz

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David and Yonda Schwarz

Region(s): Central America/Caribbean 

Field(s): Costa Rica 
Website: click here to visit 
Bio: David Schwarz was pastoring the United Pentecostal Church of Kermit, Texas, and serving as the Texico District’s Pentecostal Conquerors secretary when he and his wife, Yonda, received their appointment as UPCI missionaries to Costa Rica in October 1988. Following deputation and language school in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Schwarzes arrived in Costa Rica in October 1991, accompanied by their two daughters. He is the president of the United Pentecostal Church of Costa Rica and oversees the total work of this rapidly growing church. In addition, he has started a new church in the valley and is the president of the Bible school.

Costa Rica

Republic of Costa Rica/República de Costa Rica
Area Coordinator: David H. Schwarz
Superintendent/President: 
Population: 4300000
Area: 19,730 sq. mi.
Capital: San Jose
Languages: Spanish
Religions: Roman Catholic, 76%; Evangelical, 14%
 

Lying between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, the Republic of Costa Rica has been described as Central America’s most stable nation. In contrast to its neighbors, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development since the late nineteenth century. Oscar Arias Sánchez, the current Costa Rican president, won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for fostering peace talks that eventually ended the civil wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Costa Rica has a literacy rate of 96% and an average gross national product per capita of $10,100. The United Pentecostal Church of Costa Rica was founded in 1975 by the Ralph Hollands. In 2007, David Schwarz reported that the Costa Rican church now has 4,800 constituents, 75 churches and preaching points, and 34 licensed ministers.

Official Name: 
República de Costa Rica
short form: Costa Rica
int'l long form: Republic of Costa Rica
int'l short form: Costa Rica 

ISO Country Code: cr 

Time:
Local Time = UTC -6h 
Actual Time: Wed-Nov-9  14:34 

Country Calling Code: +506

Capital City: San José (pop. 354 600, greater metropolitan area 2.1 million)

Other Cities: 
Puntarenas (pop. 103 000), Limon (pop. 90 000) 

Government:
Type: Democratic Republic
Independence: 15 September (1821 from Spain)
Constitution: 7 November 1949 

Geography:
Location: Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea in the north-east and the North Pacific Ocean in the south-west, between Nicaragua and Panama
Terrain: Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes. 

Climate: Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands. 

People:
Nationality: Costa Rican(s).
Population: 4.25 million.
Ethnic Groups: European and some mestizo 94%, African origin 3%, Chinese 1%, indigenous 1%, other 1%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 69%, Protestant approx. 18%, none 12%, others 1%.
Languages: Spanish, with a southwestern Caribbean Creole dialect of English spoken around the Limon area.
Literacy: 96% 

Natural resources: Hydroelectric power, forest products, fisheries products. 
Agriculture products: Coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber.
Industries: Microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products. 

Exports partners: USA 14.2%, Guatemala 3%,Nicaragua 2.7% (2003) 
Imports partners: USA 23.2%, Mexico 4.7%,Venezuela 3.2% (2003) 

Currency: Costa Rican Colon (CRC)

~Gary and Kristi Landaw - Trinidad, Tobago and Puerto Rico

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 136:1 What a mighty God we serve! Freedom Crusade 2011 In spite of a State of Emergency that was restricting the time we could have for the Crusade , 60 people received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Several healings were reported. The church in Trinidad really prayed and laboured to see this crusade take place. There were over 200 visitors during the three nights of meetings. We are thankful for the ministry of Bro. Felix Crowder who ministered nightly. Yes, we give thanks to God for his marvelous work! Caribbean Conference 2011 When you live on an island you cannot drive to the nearest country to have fellowship. In fact is is very costly to travel from island to island so it is always a delight to get together with leaders and saints from all over the Caribbean each year. This years conference was held in Barbados and was hosted by Missionaries Bro. and Sis. Henry Ritchie and the pastors of Barbados. Bro. and Sis Hibbert, Bro, Lloyd Shirley and Bro M. Papp were the day speakers and Bro. Brian Abernathy ministered nighty. God spoke to all of us who attended. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to have fellowship and for all the wonderful brethren throughout the Caribbean. We also give thanks for the little room we are using in Santurce to begin a work in the Metro area. We visited a contact and on the first visit they asked us to have church services there. You have been praying with us for open doors. We are so thankful we serve a God who cares for lost humanity. Thanks, thanks, thanks! Sincerely, Gary and Kristi Landaw Missionaries with the UPCI Trinidad/Tobago and Puerto Rico

~The Lord of the Harvest/Plan for World Evangelism - #3

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Pray:

“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).

Some have recognized this is one of the only prayer requests Jesus ever gave. Pray for workers. Prayer positions and prepares us to receive or hear the call to the mission. Prayer plows through hardened hearts. He didn’t tell us to go hunt laborers. The laborers are there. They are sitting on our pews and studying in our classrooms. They need to be sent. We need only petition, beseech, beg, God to send them forth. But, beware! Prayer also softens one’s own heart to hear the voice of God. Through prayer one gets closer to the heart of God, hears His heartbeat, feels the need, and becomes a prime candidate for the worker He wants to send.

Nehemiah faced similar situations in his day. The people were scattered, shamed, and in a serious snag. When he heard of and recognized their helpless condition he sat down and wept. He fasted and prayed. It wasn’t a simple little onetime prayer. He prayed constantly day and night. He stormed heaven for something to be done. Heaven responded. Nehemiah was the answered prayer to his own heavenly appeal. He left the comfort zone of the king’s palace with a burden for those scattered among the nations. He rebuilt the walls of strength and protection that had been ripped down. He refused to allow anyone or anything to stop him in accomplishing his vision. The Lord strengthened his hands for the good work.

A call into the ripened, abundant harvest is birthed in an atmosphere of prayer. It was in such an environment of corporate prayer and fasting, by the church at Antioch, that Barnabas and Saul were separated “for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:2). It was after they had “had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:3); and they were “sent forth by the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:4)

As we present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, which is our reasonable service, we also make a commitment not to follow the pattern of this world. As He renews our mind in prayer, fasting, and study of His Word, we are able to discern and “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). In such a mode of prayer and sacrifice we are challenged to give our lives to the Lord much like a blank check. We allow Him to fill in the details and to work out His will for us.

~Missionary Stephen Nix Speaks...

5 November 2011

Louisiana Men on a Mission ....

You guys are AWESOME!

Bro. Alan and Bro. Eric have spoken so eloquently, I think they've used up all the available words ... so what can I say? LOL

I do know that you have made a HUGE difference in the progress of our Bible School construction -- one that will never be forgotten! Just how huge wasn't so apparent until this week. After the entire week of work with just our local crew, I reviewed the week's progress and thought ... you mean that's ALL they did this entire week? Then it hit me ... you men weren't just the run-of-the-mill workers ... you were Men on a Mission! What you did was simply awesome, breathtakingly amazing, incredibly inspiring. You humbled me with your focused dedication, your willingness to sacrifice yourselves under such heat and humidity, and the single-mindedness with which you set about to accomplish your goals...and accomplish them you certainly did!

What wonderful camaraderie there was ... and now I'm missing you all greatly already! Know that you will always occupy a very special place in my heart specifically, and in the hearts of all of us here in Nicaragua. Every time I walk through the hallway, climb the stairs, meander among the many walls upstairs, my mind is flooded with memories of all your cheerful work, and I will cherish them for the rest of my days! You have profoundly impacted my life, and my prayer is that the Lord will multiply His blessings upon each of you.

Stay tuned as we continue to post pictures on FaceBook (Stephen Nix) of our progress. God bless you abundantly!

Bro. Steve Nix

Missionary Supervisor, Nicaragua

PS. Please keep Nicaragua in your prayers tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday, that our national presidential elections will go smoothly, that there won't be massive fraud, and that peace will prevail in the country, regardless of the outcome.

~The Lord of the Harvest/Plan for World Evangelism #2

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He was moved with compassion: He felt what they felt. He had a deep awareness of their suffering. He was interconnected with them. He took action to help. His bowels yearned. His compassion was birthed deep within. I want to feel compassion for the lost in two ways: from His point-of-view and from theirs. How long has it been since you put yourself in their place? Imagine the feelings of being lost, hopeless, or drowning. Surely, such compassion will lead to incite, inspire, and invigorate an enthusiastic, whole-hearted, genuine, lively, fiery, deep, passion. It’s okay to get emotional about hurled, hungry humanity.

Note what Jesus said once he saw their state, was moved by the masses, heart-broken at their helplessness, and was compassionate about their calamity. It spoke to His “disciples.” That is a general term used for the twelve that followed Him. But, it is more than that. We are called to make disciples and to be disciples. Disciples are learners. Jesus wanted to teach students something. If you are following the scenario patiently and perceptively you will quickly unveil that the Seeking Savior was endeavoring to give His followers a game plan or a strategy of world evangelism. He has a game plan for winning; winning souls that is. Let’s check it out.

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37

We’ve heard that dozens of times. The harvest is plenteous. The laborers are few. Contained in those words is a gigantic opportunity: the big harvest. The problem is He needs workers. Because there are lots of lost and only a few seekers a strategy for world evangelism is paramount. Therefore, here is what you do:

Pray:

“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). 

~The Lord of the Harvest/Plan for World Evangelism - by Jim Poitras

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The Lord of the Harvest’s Plan for World Evangelism

My morning devotional study found me pondering Luke 19:10 how Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. I’d been to that verse many times before and could easily quote it by heart. This particular break of day I needed to be reminded of the reason for my existence. The words articulated it so well. It’s all about seeking the lost and training the found. A side note in my Bible titled Jesus as the “Seeking Savior” and sent me fumbling through the pages to a reference in Matthew 9:36:

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

The journey in writing this lesson starts in this verse and fuels my trip with the same passion, burden, and vision that gripped my Seeking Savior. He saw the multitudes generally and individual faces specifically. As they scurried about their daily duties, disguised with smiles and happy-go-lucky attitudes, He saw through all of that, to the very heart of the matter. He peered deep into their souls. They were confused, scattered, troubled, tired, distressed, aimless, hurting, helpless, hopeless, perishing, loaded-down, lost sheep needing a shepherd; someone to guide them into the protective fold. The verse closes with sad, convicting words: “having no shepherd.”

He saw: He considered their plight. He had a vision for their destiny. I want to see souls as Jesus sees them. He readily identified the spiritual needs of those He encountered.

He was moved: I want to be moved, stirred, and captivated by the very things that move, stir, and captivate the heart and mind of God.

His heart broke: I want my heart to be broken with the things that break the heart of God. Sounds simple but it is inevitably heart-wrenching.

~continued - there will be seven more posts in the next week to ten days to complete this lesson.